A/N: Thank you to Mariel, beta extraordinaire, for having fun getting this back to me. I hope this chapter works for you all.

Chapter Eight

Xx-

Jack wasn't really sure how it happened, but here he and Jessie were –in his bed, yet again.

They hadn't spoken for about three days, not since everything had come to light.

No, correct that –he hadn't spoken to her. When she'd phoned he'd just made excuses that he was busy with work –which had been true half the time and he'd known she didn't believe him for the other half.

Then she'd turned up at his place and one minute they were shouting and the next-

Here they were once more.

He had to admit he'd been more perfunctory and rougher with Jessie this time, which wasn't really his style, but he hadn't really been in the mood for tenderness, whispers and sighs.

Just sex.

Jessie hadn't complained, that was for certain: she was currently resting her head on his stomach, sated and seemingly quite content.

He glanced at the bedside clock. After ten p.m.; it looked like she may be staying over and frankly he wasn't sure that he wanted her to. He should, however, make sure. "Staying the night?" he asked lightly. Watching as her eyes fluttered open as she thought; he wondered why she needed to think.

"Uh… no." She tipped her head up to look at him. "Is that all right?"

She'd never really checked with him before.

"It's fine." Jack found he wasn't actually interested in where this was heading anymore.

"Are you sure?"

"Go to Mark… I don't care."

He hadn't meant to say it like that, but Jesus Christ, this couldn't go on.

He needed more than this.

Shaking her head, Jessie pushed herself up. "No, I thought I should spend time with Mom, I haven't caught up with her much lately and she's been nagging me since she found out about us."

"Whatever," he said, in a detached tone. Examining the ceiling, he realized he felt strangely distant. He really did almost not care at all.

"Jack, don't be like this." Leaning closer when he wouldn't meet her eyes, she said earnestly, "I have a lot of feelings for you-"

"Yes, I know, you've said that -but they're too late." Now he looked at her and smiled thinly. "If you feel more now, then I'm sorry… but I can't do this. Casey is going to be in your life a lot longer than you think and I'm not hanging around." Making that same mistake again was not an option.

Her brow furrowed as his words sunk in. "But could we still… you know… hook up from time to time…?"

That deserved an eye-roll. "Oh Christ, I couldn't, not even that bullshit 'friends with benefits' thing –I'm way too old for that. It's not me." He couldn't be there just to satisfy Jessie's physical needs if that damn Mark Casey had her emotionally tied.

"Huh… You certainly managed it well enough tonight," Jessie pointed out, getting up and off the bed.

Touché.

Facing him with her hands on her hips, she was a picture of disbelief at his decision. Looking at her wounded expression and lithe figure, he had to admit that it had been quite an experience -he'd give her that much. It was a shame he'd just chosen not to partake of that extraordinary body again, but there you were.

You can't have it all if you didn't want it.

Perhaps she was hoping he'd change his mind, as she turned then hesitated, "I'll just grab my things, tidy myself up..."

"Sure." He wasn't going to stop her.

As for gathering up her stuff, Jack knew that wouldn't take her long as he swung his legs off the bed; usually she never left any trace of herself except a toothbrush. He found his shirt and boxers thrown over the chair and slipped them on. As a distraction, he grabbed his cell phone and was back sitting on the bed, pretending to read messages on it when she returned. As she pulled on her clothes, he could feel her looking at him pointedly. He started to press keys randomly to keep up the pretense.

Finally, she sat down next to him and sighed. "I'm sorry it's ended like this."

"With a bang as well as a whimper," Jack said dryly, putting the phone back on the bed stand.

She smiled, despite herself. "You know, Malone… it wasn't that stakeout, and it wasn't when I turned up in your office later..."

"I'll bet it was when I saved you at the refinery."

She tapped him playfully on the arm. "Aw, you guessed. Yes, that's when I thought –even through the pain- damn, there's something special about this guy…"

He shrugged noncommittally. "I'm good at saving damsels in distress." A sudden vision of a bleeding Samantha sprang to his mind.

And it never seems to work out.

"I'll confess –I knew you and Spade had broken up, I thought it might be my chance but I got busy with Mark. Seeing your name in the newsletter finally gave me the courage to come over to your office when I was at court that day, and I thought it was worth a shot."

Jack was impressed. He hadn't known he'd been chased. "Scoped me out, eh?"

"I wanted to make sure the coast was clear… Look, I wasn't planning to juggle you both, it just happened that way. Now Mark's demanding more of my time and I think Mom will kill me when I tell her about him."

"Good luck with that."

"I guess I should just come clean with everyone, including Mark." She shrugged then smiled at him. "You're good man, Jack –despite your dangerous reputation in parts of the Bureau."

"I do try to keep up appearances."

"I just should have sorted myself out sooner."

"And Casey."

"And him, definitely…" She sighed again, probably cursing herself. "You and me, I think we really could have… you know."

"Yeah, I thought that once too, but we'll never know now, will we…" he trailed off. He stood up, needing to finish this. "Come on, I'll walk you out," and he took her hand –it was the least he could do.

At the front door she turned. "We can stay in touch," she suggested.

"You bet," replied Jack, knowing as much as she did that it wasn't ever likely to happen.

Jessie then gave him a lingering kiss on the cheek and a sad smile. "Bye."

"Bye, Jess."

Shutting the door and locking it behind her, he leant against it, exhaling a very long breath.

Alone again.

Xx—

Samantha chewed her lip and squinted at an old black and white security photo from the cold case she was reviewing. Sighing, she placed it on a pile of others on her desk and picked up another, holding it up to the light to see it better, though it really wasn't helping. "I think these were taken with pinhole camera -seriously, have either of you got a magnifying glass?" she asked as Danny and Martin trudged into the bull pen.

"No," Danny said, loudly dumping a large pile of papers on his desk.

Martin threw himself into his chair. "What the hell's gotten into him?"

"I dunno," Danny grumped, "but I wish he'd take it somewhere else."

Curious, Samantha put the photo down. "What's up?"

Martin flicked a hand in the direction of Jack's office. "Him –he just went off at us for our last reports."

"He must have done it quietly; I didn't hear anything," Samantha remarked, truthfully.

"He's been in a shitty mood for days now and he's taking it out on us. These reports are fine." Danny looked directly at Samantha, "You'll be next, be warned." He then handed Martin a chunk of sheets from the pile.

Come to think of it, Samantha had noticed something with Jack recently –testier and terser than usual, but then that could also be Normal Jack. "Perhaps he's having problems at home. Everyone goes through rough patches," she pointed out fairly.

"Maybe Jessie isn't giving him any," Martin thought out loud, sorting through his papers.

Danny did a double take. "I did not just hear you say that!" he nearly grinned in disbelief.

"Uh…well, it would make sense," Martin explained back. "Remember he was already cranky when he got tough during that interrogation a bit back? I think this has just been more of the same –it's been about a week, but it's not a record for him."

"Maybe there's something here at work we don't know about… Honestly, he can only get better," Samantha reasoned.

"Or worse," Danny muttered gloomily as he sat himself down. "Maybe you should go and ask what's up –or not, as the case could be."

"Not a chance," Samantha shook her head. "And if Jack wants to get angry with me as well, he'd better have good reason." She returned her attention to the murky photos.

Perhaps Jack was having problems with Jessie, but it didn't concern her and he was big enough to look after his own problems. He'd made that abundantly clear to her.

Fine.

She turned a photo around for another angle. Asking the technicians for help would be a good idea, but they were snowed under and cold cases were bottom of their list. Finn had a magnifying glass for looking at insects in his toy chest, she could take the pictures home and use that. Finn might even like to try and help.

She smiled at the thought of her little boy. She couldn't wait to see him after work.

Xx—

Home again and wandering around his empty apartment, Jack didn't feel like brooding after yet another day of being a grouch. Breaking up with Jessie had affected him more than he would have thought or liked, and it wasn't right to be bad-tempered at work all day. It didn't help the team and it didn't help him.

He couldn't say that he missed Jessie –she'd hardly ever been around long enough to get used to- however he knew he certainly missed the company. Perhaps they could have just carried on but he'd known there was no way he was going to put up having another man in the background, not again.

Ending up in the kitchen, and staring at the reduced contents of his fridge, Jack figured that it was time to just get over it.

To cheer himself up, he decided to make a phone call to his daughters. Maria wasn't in but the girls were. Kate chatted cheerfully about some pop star she liked this week and told him of their Thanksgiving plans. He didn't ask if they included Maria's new man, as it had nothing to do with him. Still planning to visit them –albeit now by himself- in the new year, he'd have to run the idea past Maria first before mentioning anything to the girls.

Thinking he would give it a chance, he asked Kate if Hanna wanted to speak to him. Against all odds, it appeared she did. It seemed she had a new boyfriend. Yes, Maria had met him and liked him. No, he wasn't an artist but a definite sporty-type -of all things. Yes, that was different for her, but he was really nice and sweet and so on and so forth.

Jack just sat back in his chair and let it all wash over him. Hanna was talking to him, her broken heart had finally mended and she was happy.

It made him happy, too.

Xx—

Jack -in a noticeably better mood- met up with Danny and Samantha at a business they had been looking into for their current case.

Danny had his notebook out, flipping through it as they walked together along the sidewalk, about to give Jack an update. "Oh yeah Jack, before I forget, Vivian said she had you and Jessie down on her list to bring the green beans for early-Thanksgiving; Elena wants to add those to her list, if that's okay. She has some fancy recipe she wants to play with."

Jack was fine with that, one less thing to worry about in preparing for that day. "Sure…" I guess now is as a good a time as any. "And by the way, it's just going to be me flying solo."

Samantha, trailing and going through her own notebook, was at full attention now.

…What?

Shaking his head at his boss, Danny pulled an unhappy face. "Aw no, don't tell me… When did this happen? What did you do?" The accusation that it was Jack's fault was clear in his tone.

"Hey, it wasn't because of anything I did, believe me." Jack slowed his walk down half a step so Danny couldn't see him giving Samantha a patent look as he spoke, "About a week ago… I called it off."

Samantha gave him a raised eyebrow.

Well, well, well.

At least he didn't tell me in three months' time.

"Gee, that's too bad," she said, not really bothering to keep the insincerity out of her voice.

Jack looked away. He'd felt that.

Ouch.

And Danny had caught her meaning all right. "Be nice Sam… So much for living vicariously through you," he said, slapping Jack on the back. "Well Boss, looks like it's you and Martin back in the single guys club." He looked like he was going to say something further, but didn't.

Now Jack threw another loaded glance at Samantha; he could say a lot with a mere glance. "I guess so."

She returned him a defiant stare, knowing what he was up to and finding she didn't mind the prospect.

The next move is up to you, Jack.

Xx—

TBC